Mossad in America

Israeli intelligence steps up its activity in the U.S. — and gets away with it.

By Philip Giraldi

Israeli government claims that it does not spy on the United States are intended for the media and popular consumption. The reality is that Israel’s intelligence agencies target the United States intensively, particularly in pursuit of military and dual-use civilian technology. Among nations considered to be friendly to Washington, Israel leads all others in its active espionage directed against American companies and the Defense Department. It also dominates two commercial sectors that enable it to extend its reach inside America’s domestic infrastructure: airline and telecommunications security. Israel is believed to have the ability to monitor nearly all phone records originating in the United States, while numerous Israeli air-travel security companies are known to act as the local Mossad stations.

As tensions with Iran increase, sources in the counterintelligence community report that Israeli agents have become more aggressive in targeting Muslims living in the United States as well as in operating against critics. There have been a number of cases reported to the FBI about Mossad officers who have approached leaders in Arab-American communities and have falsely represented themselves as “U.S. intelligence.” Because few Muslims would assist an Israeli, this is done to increase the likelihood that the target will cooperate. It’s referred to as a “false flag” operation.

Mossad officers sought to recruit Arab-Americans as sources willing to inform on their associates and neighbors. The approaches, which took place in New York and New Jersey, were reportedly handled clumsily, making the targets of the operation suspicious. These Arab-Americans turned down the requests for cooperation, and some of the contacts were eventually reported to the FBI, which has determined that at least two of the Mossad officers are, ironically, Israeli Arabs operating out of Israel’s mission to the United Nations in New York under cover as consular assistants.

In another bizarre case, U.S.S. Liberty survivor Phil Tourney was recently accosted in Southern California by a foreigner who eventually identified himself as an Israeli government representative. Tourney was taunted, and the Israeli threatened both him and journalist Mark Glenn, who has been reporting on the Liberty story. Tourney was approached in a hotel lounge, and it is not completely clear how the Israeli was able to identify him. But he knew exactly who Tourney was, as the official referred to the Liberty, saying that the people who had been killed on board had gotten what they deserved. There were a number of witnesses to the incident, including Tourney’s wife. The threat has been reported to the FBI, which is investigating, but Tourney and Glenn believe that the incident is not being taken seriously by the bureau.

FBI sources indicate that the increase in Mossad activity is a major problem, particularly when Israelis are posing as U.S. government officials, but they also note that there is little they can do to stop it as the Justice Department refuses to initiate any punitive action or prosecutions of the Mossad officers who have been identified as involved in the illegal activity.

In another ongoing Israeli spy case, Stewart Nozette appears to be headed towards eventual freedom as his case drags on through the District of Columbia courts. Nozette, an aerospace scientist with a top secret clearance and access to highly sensitive information, offered to sell classified material to a man he believed to be a Mossad officer, but who instead turned out to be with the FBI. Nozette has been in jail since October, but he has now been granted an additional 90-day delay so his lawyers can review the documents in the government’s case, many of which are classified. If Nozette demands that sensitive information be used in his defense, his case will likely follow the pattern set in the nine-times-postponed trial of AIPAC spies Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, who were ultimately acquitted in April 2009 when prosecutors determined that they could not make their case without doing significant damage to national security. A month after Rosen and Weissman were freed, Ben-Ami Kadish, who admitted to providing defense secrets to Israel while working as an engineer at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, walked out of a Manhattan court after paying a fine. He did no jail time and continues to receive his substantial Defense Department pension.

The mainstream media reported the Rosen and Weissman trial intermittently, but there was virtually no coverage of Ben-Ami Kadish, and there has been even less of Nozette. Compare that with the recent reporting on the Russian spies who, by all accounts, did almost nothing and never obtained any classified information. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that spying for Israel is consequence free.

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Philip Giraldi, a former CIA Officer, is the Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest. His “Deep Background” column appears every month exclusively in The American Conservative.

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78 Responses to Mossad in America

A commenter above suggests, “Surely line officers within the FBI find this galling.” Most do, I’m sure, but the FBI is laced from top to bottom with American sayanim. What can the typical agent think, or do, when obvious sayanim within the agency are sent on overseas assignments–out of the blue–to work with American and foreign intelligence agencies? Israeli citizens are more obvious, but they’re working in sensitive jobs everywhere, including engineers working in manufacturing plants, and of course they’re robbing us blind of every last piece of science and technology we produce. As one comment suggested, when so accosted, the immediate response is to move to where there are witnesses, as many as possible.

Hey Mark Glenn, maybe I am Sam Karpov and maybe I am not. If Sam Karpov threatened your kids and wife as you say, did you file a complaint with the FBI? Also, you are anti-Jewish. Just look at your website. Your name is Anglo-Saxon, but your really an Arab and you hide this fact. You’re a Catholic supremist who hates Jews. As far as Phil Tourney allegedly being attacked, were is the proof? It’s a fact that Tourney spoke at the Institute for Historical Review which is a notorious Holocaust denial group. Look at there website to see. Lastly Tourney WAS kicked out of the LVA. That’s a fact.

Sam,
If Tourney spoke to a group you do not like that does not mean he agrees with everything they believe and it sure as hell does not mean Tourney is wrong about the VILE attack on the USS Liberty and the VILE conduct of Israel-firsters in the USA.
If IHR wants me to talk about something I am interested in, I will go. If that makes me anti-Semitic, so be it.
Hey you guys at IHR: if you want someone to talk about Excel, VBA, and VB programming, I am your guy!

Sam,
I must say sir you come up with a bunch of stuff that just is not true not a word of it! I have never been kicked out of the LVA I am a member in good standing always have been.
I am the only three time president of the LVA voted in by my crew mates the SURVIVORS that belive in me and what I am doing to get the truth out about what ISRAEL did to America.
You sir have every right to say or belive what you wish but make no mistake Israel MURDERED 34 of my mates in cold blood wounding 174 others including me and got by with it. Covered up by the USA then and now , I will speak to any group I want to put that in your pipe and smoke it.
I gave my blood for this country but not a drop of American blood should be given in any wars all for the sake of ISRAEL never again peroid!
God Bless America
Proud USS LIBERTY SURVIVOR

What have the Israeli government ever done for the US? The US government have stolen money from US residents and given 3.2 billion dollars every year to the Israeli government. The USG have sold at discount to, or given to, Israeli government officials aircraft, weapons, and other tools for killing folks. What have the Israeli government done in return? Anybody know?

Here’s your answer Einstein, they are all
(A) people who are either close friends or associates, and
(B) Jewish

So much for your baseless ‘Jew hater” accusation

As far as the rest, you gave yourself away when you launched into that “arab/catholic’ business, which was one of your calling cards years ago when you got your kicks being a mossad agent wannabe by sending me threatening emails. And as far as going to the FBI about you, I did, a close friend of mine who said you were a nobody and a loser and not worth the 10 cents worth of paper and ink it would take to file anything on.

“TGGP”–as far as my nutty assertion that Israel may have been involved in 9/11, do a little research into the “high-fivers”–5 mossad agents who were arrested by the FBI on 9/11 after they were seen by witnesses in LIberty park, NJ, filming the destruction of the Twin Towers and cheering. After they were interrogated and held for about 2 months they were quietly sent back to Israel where they then appeared on an Israeli talk show, admitted they were Mossad and said they had been sent to America to “document the event”.

As far as the rest, the idea that Israel is driving the Christian and Muslim worlds into perpetual war with each other, resulting in mutually assured destruction, I really don’t know what to say. It is obvious to a blind man and there isn’t enough space here to go into a 43 year history lesson.

Could you corroborate your story that they claimed that the reason they had been sent to America was to document the event, rather than the purpose of their filming? I don’t know Hebrew and haven’t seen a copy of the footage and any rate, but Ellner preceded his statement about purpose with “Nothing of the kind, the fact of the matter is, we are coming from a country that experiences terror daily”. The way the story has been reported, his “nothing of the kind” is referring to the claim that they were celebrating the destruction rather than merely documenting an event that occurred nearby.

Giraldi argues here that Mossad agents are still in this country, targeting Muslims. The official story for what those five agents were doing was the same thing: spying on New York Muslims believed to be connected to groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad (that’s what someone from the C.I.A said, an official from the Israeli embassy denies they were part of any intelligence operation). Occam’s Razor weighs in favor of that scenario.

America could turn all the majority Muslim countries to glass, though it certainly isn’t likely. Muslims aren’t capable of assuring the destruction of any nation. They’ve been losers since Lepanto. You may claim it’s “obvious” but my guess is that if you surveyed the vast majority of Americans would describe it as a nutty idea. Since “obvious” is what it ain’t, from your perspective it would be better to say it is an unjustly neglected idea. And this is not a margin on Fermat’s page. Space is no limitation. If you’d like, give the 43 year history lesson on your own blog and link to that from here.

Great article. And if I may add, Rahm Emmanuel served in the Israeli military. Just think about this. Whom does their true allegiance lie with? So much for the so-called conservatives and their hysterical cries about Obama being a crypto-Muslim who would like to destroy their precious Zionist state. He is just another string in the same old neocon puppet show.

“TGGP” –there is simply too much documentation of this event (and others of similar species) for me to list it all here. This is after all the information age where anyone with a computer hooked up to the internet can assemble as much raw data that would have taken weeks of work by any run of the mill investigative reporter a generation ago.

What I can suggest is you to read the works of Justin Raimundo at antiwar.com who has covered the israeli spy scandal at length. Furthermore, I would suggest you listen to the interview done by Phillip Giraldi just this week on antiwar radio with Scott Horten where he mentions Israel’s foreknowledge of 9/11.

There is simply too much documentation that everything you and everyone you know believes is 100% wrong. I’m afraid I don’t have time to document it, but I’m sure if you spend enough time on the internet you will realize how right I am and wrong you are. Now did you find the preceding sentences very persuasive?

I did use to read Raimondo regularly via Lew Rockwell. Haven’t done so as much recently. I will try to check out the interview with Giraldi later. My guess is that he will not corroborate your claim that any of them said the purpose of their coming to America was to document the attack.

At this point in this nation the issue of Israel spying has little relevance given that nations have always spied on each other.
The issue is not Israel but this government who fail miserably to protects its citizens. Protection of citizens abroad is traditional for all nations and recognized in International law.
It is unheard off that a Government would allow foreigners to attack on our soil. harass us, deprive us of our basic rights of freedom of expression for or against political views or policies, as long as we do not use violence it is our right and it is fundamental. Our government in-its effort of ensuring political correctess has issued laws that contradict all that we stand for. It is the people’s right to believe or not believe about the Holocaust.
In fact it is a ridiculous argument because only an idiot would deny that Hitler created a Holocaust for Europe and consequently the world. Six million people is but a fraction of the totality. The issue therefore often comes to why six millions should be recognized and compensated while others are ignored. So the issue is Preferential treatment given to one people or nation but denied to other.
As for antisemitism, racism and etc. the government can only protect us from violence and denial of rights but it cannot force people to like, love and personally and privately accept any one they do not wish to accept.

That said, there is reason for great concern for how far the Israeli have been allowed to do things in this nation that we or our government would not accept from others. Mr. Girardi, I am sure. heard and remembers part of a conversation between Sharon and Bush, when Sharon informed our president that Israel would have to locate and take action against those individual and groups that oppose
the war plan and/or Israel determined them to be Anti-Semite and dangerous to Israel. When Bush stated it would have to think about it because it would be unconstitutional for him to give such permission, Sharon responded that “we will do it with or without your permission as we are doing in other countries, we intend to eliminate our enemies at the source.

The right wing arm of Israel has always stuck to traditional international relations where there is no such things as “special” and a nation will make decision based on its own national interest. WE are the only imbecile Nation that make promises forever to foreign entities. That has earned us the title of “ignorant patsy” All commitment stop at the point of
what is OUR national interest, Israel plays by that rule so who is the idiot here?
What to do is to demand that our government enforce the law equally or vacate their jobs.we can start by demanding that the AG check the relationship of Congress with the Lobbies and enforce the bribery law. H.RES 1553 was recently issued by some Congress/people and pushed for acceptance by Nancy Pelosi, Beside pledging total support of all that Netanyahu demands, if you read the last part you will see that they pledged our lives and fortune to fight with Israel if Israel decides to attack Iran in contradiction to the President position that we will stand by Israel if unjustly attacked and his statement that he still prefer other action and refused to make such commitment/ So we have a handful of Congress people declaring war and by-passing the President. One of the Position papers was written by the Jewish Lobby who handed it down to supporters get it done.
Now, lets get off trivia about Israel and take action..

Kennedy was often asked if his religion would effect his handling of domestic and foreign affairs. Should not all major US politicians be subject to the same scrutiny? Q1 – Will you vote for the US’s interests over foreign interests? This is something we need to know as we pick the senate and house candidates.

I personally used to know an Israeli spy, the way I found out was because I took note of his very Spartan and well funded lifestyle in connection with the very VAGUE line of work he was in.

He never was able to explain to me or his friends what he genuinely did for work that made him so much money. He also only bought healthy, precooked meals that came in packets and lived an extremely methodical lifestyle, as well, he was a huge Jew.

One night after several months of knowing him and while really drunk, I made note of his extremely sparse, methodical and vague lifestyle and just to push the limits of intoxication, told him with a very straight face that I knew he was Mossad. The look on his face was one of sheer, blatant, ghostly astonishment and confusion.

He disappeared the next day and we don’t know what happened to him, he simply left out overnight and no one was given a formal explanation.

Wayne you hit the nail on the head. Someday someone will say “No you don’t”.
Of course they’ll be branded as Nazis or something. But they won’t be victimised by the super intelligent/ master beings/ god’s chosen /people either…

Mossad gets away with conducting operations in the US because of its influence in Congress. Fortunately, counterintelligence officers are working on breaking Mossad’s ring in the US. As with most spies, they just became overconfident.

I thank you very much for your essays written in simple and straight English on abuses of the US government, instead of protecting our constitutional rights violating those basic principles, which protects us and enables us to live meaningful and decent lives without fear.
I travelled and worked at many different countries, and three continents, my observations overseas coincides exactly with your assessments.

Thank you for your courage again. I hope those essays will make all US governments more responsible and respectful of laws and morality of all peoples around the world.